Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, POET TO DEATH, by SAROJINI NAIDU


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POET TO DEATH, by             Poem Explanation         Poet's Biography
First Line: Tarry a while, o death, I cannot die
Subject(s): Death


I know that thou wilt come
To take me soon, and I am ready now
And though it is an overwhelming dread
To think of all the lonely ways I must
Descend alone, and all the souls I loved
And left behind must come to thee at last,
Yet do I feel a strange exultant joy
To think that I shall be the one to face thee
In thy cold mightiness, and to defy thee
With my unyielding will and fearless soul.
I know that thou art near,
And thy chill breath is here;
But I will not shrink with fear,
Nor tremble, nor turn pale.
I know thy dreadful shape,
But I have left behind
The darkness and the grave,
And I have lived and loved.
Thou comest, and I am here,
Strong and serene and clear,
And though thy voice I hear,
It is but as the wind.
The waves that at thy feet
Their white crests hurl and beat
But echo heartbeats sweet
Of love that death can't bind.
The proud unbroken will,
The spirit's strength and skill,
And the eternal thrill
Of beauty and of truth,
Are thine to take and hold,
But the immortal gold
Of love that can't grow old,
Is mine, O death, forsooth!
I feel thy hand in mine,
And the shadows swift entwine
Around my soul's design,
But I am not afraid.
For though I pass to thee,
My immortality
Shall shine undimmed and free,
A glory undecayed.
For death is but the night,
The pause of weary flight,
The kiss of endless light
Upon our ravished sight.
So come, O death, and take
My soul, for thee I make
A shrine, and I will break
The cup of life, and wait.




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